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We have been very happy with both the wining and the dining on the Mariner. First, the basic restaurant (which is really not “basic” — white linen table cloths, silver utensils, multiple courses, etc.) has a good menu that varies daily. They have local foods when possible such as fresh Chilean Sea Bass (from Chile!) and Argentinean beef (from Argentina!). The seating is “open” on Regent that means you can eat whenever you want (assuming the restaurant is open) or from room service 24/7.
The wine is complimentary on board and it is good wine, some of it better than others, but all of it good. They buy local wines when possible (when we were in French Polynesia on the Paul Gauguin last year they had mostly French wines and when we were in Chile we had a bunch of Chilean wines, etc.) and it is fun to be able to try local wines!
We really like wine (REALLY) and for folks like us they have a “reserve” wine list where you can purchase wine for a reasonable price. The other fun thing about buying wine is that they do a sort of “show” where they decant the wine with a candle (to check to see if there is sediment in the bottle), which is a nice extra touch.
They also do a special tasting of some of their best wines – which they call a “Connoisseur’s Tasting” where they get 10 people or so to pay around $150 each to try 5 really good wines. Most of these bottles are priced from $150-$600 and it’s a great way to try some wines you might not otherwise get to experience. They also pair each wine with a little bit of food prepared to compliment the wine.
We attended the Connoisseur’s Tasting last week (we missed the first one because we were “stuck” off the boat during Machu Picchu) and had a great time – we tried the following wines:
– Cristal Champagne, vintage 2002
– Chateau d’Yquem Sauternes, 1991
– Solaia (Super Tuscan), 2005
– Insignia (Napa Valley), 2005
– Mouton Rothschild (Bordeaux), 2003
We had so much fun at this tasting that we asked John Arias, our Head Sommelier, if we could do another one – but instead of a tasting, we wanted to do it with a full dinner! He got back to us a few days later and we found out we were on! There are some other folks on the cruise that also like wine as much as we do and he coordinated with the chef the wine paired menu and reserved us the Captain’s table!
So filled with hopeful expectations we arrived at the Compass Rose restaurant. John escorted us to the Captain’s table (we don’t see the Captain using it much…he must be busy steering the ship or some other Captain-type duty). John then proceeded to charm us with a review of our specially printed menu as we were poured champagne and served caviar with the appropriate accoutrements passed out by our wait staff.
The full menu for the night:
1st Course: Classic Caviar
Wine: Grand Siècle, “La Cuvee” Laurent Perrier, NV
2nd Course: Garden Greens and Avocado Salad with Maine Lobster Claw
Wine: Far Niente Chardonnay, Napa Valley, CA 2007
3rd Course: Truffle and Forrest Mushroom Soup
Wine: Chapoutier Estate, Chateauneaf-du-Pape “Les Granits”, Rouge, 2004
4th Course: Choice of: Pan-Fried Dover Sole Fillet or a Grilled Argentinean Beef Tenderloin
Wine: Christian Moueix Dominus 2005, Cabernet Sauvignon Blend, Napa Valley
5th Course: Hazelnut Soufflé with Cinnamon Sauce
Wine: Far Niente Dolce Late Harvest, Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley, 2005
The price for this event was $250/couple and we all had a great time and enjoyed both the wines and the food John and our executive chef, Cornel Ruhland, selected. Many thanks to John, Cornel and to our Dining Room Manager, Anatoli Makaev, for putting this together for us!
We are looking forward to doing it again sometime soon. John promised to have another event sometime in the coming weeks. Thanks John!
Wine Tasting on Mariner: http://gallery.me.com/travelwithdmcontent/100486
The Neighbor who misses you both - Ok I am all caught up on the adventures!!! You Lady M must have loved the sea bass cooking class. how fun with the wine tasting , I saw the cheese did you think of me Ha!! Bummer on the Rio bathing suit, thanks for trying. Loved the storries of your travels. The humor too!!!!